Burning the Midnight Oil

Chapter 12

Last Calm

~Nino~

Consider success! The triumph over adversity and into a new, welcome state of existence! It is what everyone strives for, from the shoemaker in Libya who clings to his father's shop, to the dancer in Russia mastering the grace of a hummingbird on stage, we all struggle in the search for something greater. Or, for something lost. A lover. A childhood dream. A lifestyle.

Their lifestyle.

Nino reflected on all this as she ate a plate of ravioli stuffed with foie gras. She remembered their family trip to Paris three years ago when her culinary world had been shattered one glorious French dish at a time. Who else could make cooked snail and the livers of force-fed ducks taste so divine? But alas the only proper French restaurants in Tokyo were, as of four months ago, prohibitively expensive. But not as recently as today, all thanks to success. But this success wasn't hers, not directly at any rate. She was only lucky enough to share an inseparable bond with its achiever. Today, success belonged to Ichika.

Itsuki finished her caviar toast and sighed, "Wow, I almost forgot fish eggs could taste so good." Yotsuba stuck out her tongue in vain disagreement before taking another bite of her fish.

Nino said, "I know, I think I needed this. I really did."

Ichika swirled a virgin cocktail in her hand as she said, "Does that mean you want seconds?"

Nino shook her hands, "No, I'm bursting already," she said this, but Itsuki picked her menu back up and scanned it like a lawyer checking a contract for the loophole.

Miku said, "It's all thanks to you, Ichika. Congratulations on your movie."

Ichika laughed, "Oh, hush up about that. It only just hit theaters yesterday."

Nino grinned, "And what were they calling it this morning?"

Yotsuba cheered, "A black horse box-office smash!"

"That can hardly be thanks to me. It was only a supporting role."

Itsuki nodded, "A supporting role with a percentage!"

Nino winked, "That's what I'm thankful for."

Ichika demured, "It was a small percentage, nothing much."

Miku said, "Futaro taught us that zeroes do add up." Yotsuba blinked and tried remembering the lesson, missing the joke entirely.

"Anyways, that's only because my agent forced it into my contact. No one up top thought the movie would make any money."

Yotsuba grinned, "So let's thank your agent, then! To your agent!"

Ichika blinked, then grinned, "I'll hear that. To my agent!"

They cheered and finished their glasses. Today would burn a whole in their pocketbook all right, but Ichika's returns promised to drop a comfortable set of digits into their bank account, enough to push them off the razor's edge of frugality. They'd never known a greater reason to celebrate.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. Nino might have a thing or two waiting in the wings. She'd bring it up eventually, she thought.

The five followed up two delectable courses with an equally delightful dessert array of tarts, crème brulee, ice cream and coffee. The total bill reflected their meal's grandiosity, and Ichika happily put it on their lowly blue debit card. The same card that made them feel so powerless and weak now carried a greater burden on its balance than it would in an entire week. And it was totally worth it.

But Ichika wasn't done. Today she reasserted herself as the elder sister, the role model, the breadwinner of the second Nakano household! She led them into the department store, Nino's favorite department store, and told them to go wild, but with a limitation. One thing each, no more than fifty-thousand yen. A trifle compared to the time they were armed with their Father's black card. But enough time had distanced that feeling of luxury, and so a five with that many zeroes felt as freeing a baby bird's first flight.

They lost Yotsuba first. A soon as the quintuplets stepped through those sliding doors, Yotsuba flashed away like a bolt of lightning with somewhere to strike. She'd mentioned she needed to get new trainers after running hers into the literal ground. Yotsuba was perhaps the most practical of the five, her money always sank into high-quality versions of everyday goods. Stable running shoes, exercise clothes, gym memberships, and lately, pencils and notebooks. But the soles of her shoes were wearing thin, and even the inserts she splurged on were losing their arches. Her feet would be thanking Ichika tomorrow.

Miku wandered off halfway through the mall, as Miku tended to do. It didn't surprise her sisters at all, Miku was like a phantom disappearing as quietly as sunshine slides along skin. She always wandered back before she was missed as if she could sense her sisters' budding concern like a sixth sense. What did surprise them was how she disappeared into a bookstore instead of an electronics shop. They'd suspected she would purchase a low-end computer for herself now that she could afford one. They wondered what she was looking to find inside with fifty-thousand yen.

And so it was a trio of Ichika, Nino and Itsuki that wandered into the anchor clothing store at the center of the mall. Section after articulately-arranged section of clothing was open for the eyes to wander, each resting under silver letters broadcasting their prestigious designers. Nino ran her fingers along the soothing fabric of silks, nylon, polyester and wool and felt unchained. Her was her grand return! No longer would the sales reps eye her like they would an annoying fly, she had purpose and money burning a hole in her pocket!

Nino moved through the sea of luxury as a captain navigates a swell, feeling the material with her fingers, absorbing them with her eyes and a hunger she'd kept at bay to the point of starving. She could only have one, and it would be the best of the bunch. She discarded anything less than perfect for her without a second thought and moved on.

And then she saw her jewel. An emerald resting in the sands of a desert. It shimmered as if the sun burst through the ceiling to shine on it in a spurt of destiny. Nino picked out the dress, it was as green as an open field after a long spring rain. She could already feel it on her. Perfection. This designer, Broderick Skarr, has made this just for her!

She showed it to her sisters, "What do you think?"

Itsuki paused, and nodded her approval. Ichika asked, "Are you going to try it on?"

Nino checked the size. When it was just right for her, she knew it was to be. "I'll do it right now!"

A sales associate guided her to the dressing room, a large chamber with two chairs and a full length mirror. She took off her long spring dress, starting with the buckles at the waist. She was working it down her shoulders when the door opened. She spun and covered herself, her tongue loading a fireball of curses at her intruder.

"Knock knock," Ichika said, "Mind if I join you?"

Nino turned, her face flushing, "What the, why are you in here?"

Ichika shut the door behind her and held up a long summer dress, white with pink flowers, "I want to see myself in this."

"There's more than one dressing room."

"Well, you know how hard checking the back is."

Ichika smiled sweetly, it was a plaster Nino knew too well. A cheap, brittle mask of honey-sweet enjoyment hiding her cunning older sister's real intent. Ichika was a wonderful actress, but even the greatest Shakespearean lead fumbles against someone who loves them enough to see through the part. But a favor was a favor, and Nino didn't think she was giving anything away. Nino sighed and said, "Fine, give it to me."

She slipped it on and struggled with the buttons in the back. She turned around for Ichika to check and said, "There, any good?"

"No, it's dreadful."

Nino blanked, "Fine, glad we avoided that," she began taking off the dress, fumbling with the buttons in the back.

Ichika's hands slid under hers, "Allow me," she said, her breath close enough that Nino felt it slide around her neck. Nino lifted her hair as Ichika adroitly unhooked the buttons. But then she paused. Suddenly Nino felt fingers enclosing her earlobe and the mark upon it, and in an instant she realized her mistake.

"What is this thing?"

Nino quickly let go of her hair to hide her ears, "Just my earrings, what of it?"

"Oh, those aren't earrings," Ichika grinned knowingly and closed in on Nino, pinning her against a wall like a snake cornering a mouse in a cardboard box. Her hand lifted Nino's hair before she could react and slid along the badge of honor playing as jewelry in her ear. "I noticed something strange about these earlier. Wherever did you get these? These badges belong on shirts, but you'd know that. Whoever got these for you didn't."

"Who says anyone got them for me?" Nino said defensively, struggling to regain her guard.

"So you bought these?"

Nino opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't find the words. There were only two things she could say: the truth, or a lie. The first was unprepared as a quiche baking in the oven, the second was unthinkable, lies were the scissors that would snip the bonds of sisterhood she held so dearly. Those bonds were as old as the five of them, they were more priceless than all the treasures of the ancient Pharaohs of Egypt, or all the gold of Fort Knox.

Ichika looked her dead in the eye, searching for any hint of hesitation. Her eyes were predators waiting for the end of the hunt, "Is that what you've been busy with all last week? All those long nights out weren't with friends, were they? Why don't you spill it now, and we can get this over with."

The truth danced on her lips and she considered opening it to the wider world. But just before it leaped into the air, she caged it for a while longer.

"They match my ribbons."

Ichika blinked, "Excuse me?"

Nino blushed, "I wanted to find something that matched my ribbons, and this is what I found. Within our price range, I mean. I planned to get the hooks altered once I had more money."

It wasn't a lie, not really, just part of the truth. The part ignoring who purchased them entirely. Ichika eyed her a moment too long as if testing her for anything that would give the rest away. When the found nothing, she laughed and backed away, looking humbled, "Alright, we can get that after, I guess. You getting that dress?"

Nino nodded and held it up, "If I can try it on already."

"Sorry, sorry. I'm gonna find something else. See you outside."

"Am I trying that one on too?"

Ichika looked confused for a moment, then shook it off, "Ah, no need, you'll be done by then anyways."

Nino breathed again as Ichika left. She felt like she'd dodged a firing squad, at least until Ichika reloaded. That would be soon, she suspected. The rest of the truth would have to come out soon, she knew. But not yet. She wanted a little more time with just the two of them.

She was tested again not five minutes later. She tried on her dress, found it fit as well as destiny ordained, and stepped out of the dressing room and right into Itsuki. Her sister was tapping her arm patiently and turned as she exited. She asked, "What was that about?"

Nino blurted out, "She had me try on a dress for her."

"Not what I was talking about."

"Oh, you heard?"

"Thin walls, you know."

Nino turned away and sneered in frustration, "Why is everyone acting like I'm dealing drugs or something? I haven't done anything wrong."

"So it's nothing? Really?" Itsuki asked earnestly, her eyes silently pleading for Nino's honesty.

Nino sighed and said, "No, there's nothing going on. Nothing to worry about." Not a lie. Not a lie. It was just an opinion, that was true enough for the rest.

Itsuki smiled and nodded, "I thought so. You have been acting strange lately, though."

"These are strange times, sister."

"I think so too," Itsuki said, then held up a blouse, "Shall we?"

They waited at the register for Ichika, who arrived five minutes later with a blue dress of her own. Itsuki showed them her own selection, a pair of black flats with gold buckles on the front. As they were paying, Yotsuba and Miku returned together from their own shopping adventures. Yotsuba was already sporting her new running shoes with pride, its fabric blazing white and lime green like a neon sign in the night. Miku held a wrapped package closely in her arms.

Nino asked, "What'd you get, Miku?"

"A book."

"What kind of book?" Itsuki asked.

"A world almanac."

Nino eyed her sister, "I didn't think you were into that kind of thing."

"I, well, it's not for me. It's for Futaro. His birthday's coming up soon."

The news hit Nino extremely hard, harder than the book Futaro chose for her, harder than the idea of them snuggled up in the library. It made her heart pump furiously and her eyes widen in focus. All because she...well, she didn't know why. At last, she didn't think so. She tried swallowing the nonsense she was feeling, but it only sank deeper into her belly like liquid cement hardening in her guts.

Ichika smiled a line as thin as a border between nations and joined her sisters in praising Miku's consideration, then said to Nino, "Come on, let's get those made into proper earrings."

Nino followed her sisters out of the mall feeling heavier than a ship sinking into the depths. She furiously shoved off the unwarranted weight and pressed on like a soldier of fortune to her prize. What was she feeling uncomfortable for? She'd done the right thing, hadn't she? She told everyone the truth. Technically. But it was the truth. She hadn't lied to anyone, that was what mattered. Where did everyone get off riding her ass about her personal life? Especially Ichika! How long had she kept her budding career from them? No one gave her grief for wanting to keep something all to herself. This was just her turn. But she'd tell them. Eventually. When the time was right. And everyone would move on, as it should be.

Days later, she'd look back to this day and wonder, if she'd told her sisters the whole truth, could things have gone any differently?

~Futaro~

Futaro deadpanned, "Did you really think I'd forgotten about the mock exams?"

Nino pouted, "No, I just haven't seen you study in a while."

"I have a life outside of dating."

"So I'm competing with your first love?"

"Think of it as sharing space."

"I don't like it."

"You knew what you were getting into."

"I still don't like it."

"You can go home if you don't like it, I need to study."

"I don't like that even more."

"Get used to it then. We've got a long night."

Nino frowned and followed him into the library. Not many libraries were open past dark, and Futaro loved this one because it kept the lights running all night long. Here was an institution putting tax dollars to good use!

Tonight was his first time closing on a Saturday, or working a Saturday shift at all, and chaos had new meaning to Futaro. The cake shop had a line! A line! A line twenty people deep into the street! He could feel their hungry, accusing eyes on him like pokers fresh from the fire every time he checked the waiting list! It was long past ten when he finished closing his first night of hell.

And she'd been there waiting for him. Just like before. This time he met her in the dining room. She took his hand and allowed him to lead her into the night.

Straight to a library. He wondered if she was regretting her chosen companion tonight.

Nino said, "You look terrible, by the way."

"Thanks, Nino."

"That bad, huh?"

"I don't have the vocabulary to describe it."

"Your vocabulary? No, it can't be that bad. You're being a drama queen."

"You can't know. You weren't there."

Nino rolled her eyes, but let it drop. Futaro led her to a table in the corner of the library and grabbed a study guide from the shelf and took his notebook out of his bag. He opened the study guide and drew a circle by the first stamp on the checkout card. Nino asked, "What's that for?"

"To mark the ones I've already used here. The librarians don't mind."

"Ones? Plural?"

"You're surprised?"

"I shouldn't be, should I."

He said, "Why don't you get something to study?"

Nino moaned, "On a Saturday night?"

"You agreed to come along. You knew what you were-"

"Yeah yeah, you said that already. I just don't wanna study right now, don't push me."

Futaro nodded, "Alright, but are you just going to sit there while I study?"

Nino tapped her finger on the table and scanned the library idly. After a minute she said, "Pick a book for me."

"What?"

"Pick one. Something you think I'd like. Oh, and you have to have read it before."

"What kind of books do you usually read?"

"I don't."

"Then how-"

"Use your intuition, braniac."

Futaro sighed and got up, "Alright, wait here."

Nino shook her head and stood, "No, together. What kind of boyfriend leaves his girlfriend alone?"

"The kind that runs her errands?"

"Move it, boyfriend."

There it is again. Twice in two sentences. She really liked that word.

He led her through the stacks and into the romance novels, the only kind he had any certainty she'd enjoy. He tried picking a tasteful one, something without a cover featuring an exposed chest as broad as the Pacific. He wanted to give her something with more depth. Ah, he found the perfect one! Pride and Prejudice, a classic! Can't go wrong with the classics! Well, maybe Ulysses.

Nino was smiling as he browsed for her book. What was up with her? Why was this making her so happy? He almost asked, but thought better of it. Better not ruin her mood with unneeded questions. His father gave him that advice. How well he knew his son, and women too, apparently. He handed her the book and she nodded her approval. She said, "Alright, let's hit the books!"

Here is what Futaro expected: a few scant minutes processing his study guide before receiving a peppering of Nino's question barrage. The woman hated silence like a stain that wouldn't wash away. But the silence carried on like a flagship on course across the sea. Nino buried her nose in her book and read with an enthusiasm that Futaro couldn't help but glance up at, his curiosity in this woman poking him eagerly as an imp with a pitchfork. He'd never seen Nino so engaged with anything in print that wasn't also on a backlit screen. Never.

But over the long minutes, Nino's enthusiasm waned like a rose slowly dying in its vase. She fell into herself as she read on, waiting for the hook in the book her boyfriend hand-picked for her enjoyment. But whether it be due to mismatching tastes, or literature too far above her level, she slowly sunk into defeat. Maybe he should've grabbed one of the paperback bodice-rippers after all, not that he read any himself. Well, it's on her, she did ask for him to pick.

An hour later Nino closed her book, but marked her place. She planned to continue. What a trooper, he thought. Nino pulled out her phone and fiddled with it for a few minutes, but then she excused herself and walked to the stacks.

Futaro found himself lulled into a sense of security in her brief departure, which was just long enough to absorb himself fully in his studies. But then a loud thud stabbed his concentration as Nino slammed a heavy book on the table.

"Pop quiz, Fuu!"

Futaro raised an eyebrow, "You remember we're in a library, not a demolition derby?"

"Don't change the subject. Pop quiz time!"

"Uh-huh. And what's that?"

Nino grinned and opened the book's dust jacket. She pointed at the circle penciled by the first stamp, "Let's see what you remember!"

"You found a textbook I already studied?"

"Yes I did."

"That didn't take long.

"It should have. It didn't." Nino settled into her chair and cleared her throat, "Your review begins-"

"Why is everyone trying to be the tutor lately-"

"Now!"

Nino opened the book with a flourish and let fate decide the page. She slammed down her finger on a random question and read, "What is the...oh," she paused.

"Nino, that's advanced trigonometry. You're not vocalizing that."

"Stupid math," she grumbled and flipped to the Japanese section and tried again. Futaro leaned back and grinned, accepting Nino's challenge and promising himself a tidy triple-digit score. If Nino thought she was going to stump him on test questions he'd already practiced, she didn't know him as well as she thought. He opened his mouth each time in confidence that the answer was ready to leap off his tongue, knowing Nino would never trip him up. But of course, eventually she did. And when Futaro opened his mouth on reflex, thinking the answer was primed for the airwaves, the silence in his throat was oddly unnerving, like arms of a clock falling limp.

Nino waited patiently, "Well?"

One doesn't achieve a perfect score without becoming intimately acquainted with failure. Futaro had climbed mountains of knowledge on ladders of textbooks and scratch paper. Futaro might take occasional pleasure in feigning chagrin at anything less than a perfect score, but it didn't bother him as much as outsiders might think. He recognized his shortcoming, fixed it and moved on. That was study. That was improvement.

So why did his cheeks flush when he couldn't find the answer? Nino stared questioningly as he closed his mouth in defeat. His mind went white as the arctic and all he could see was her looking at him, questioningly. And here he was, falling short right in front of her eyes. He thought he might even panic, but stamped that out with a little willpower. Soon her lips would split into a grin as she realized she had caught him, all part of her game.

Nino shrugged and turned the book, "Here, the answer. Tell me when you're done."

Futaro blinked, was that all there was? No gloating? Nino remained his enigma. He studied the answer and stood before Nino could take the book back. She asked, "What's up?"

"I need another book," he said. He'd peeked at the next few questions and found they all tied together in something he'd completely forgotten, but he remembered where to find the answers. He headed through the stacks to the references, hunting as confidently as a tiger in the wild jungles. This was his territory, he was as comfortable here as he was in his own home. He'd spent many a late night wandering the stacks for the right references. He turned into the row he knew contained his prize, and froze.

They were locked together like headphones left in someone's pocket. His hands slid beneath her blouse, revealing the slightest hint of pink skin that shouldn't be seen outside of a beach in the summer. Her hands lassoed him like a stallion in the wilds and brought his lips crashing into hers, locking them in a mutual struggle neither wanted to escape.

Futaro narrowed his eyes. In the stacks? These volumes deserve better.

Futaro walked right up to them and reached over her head, where the book was resting. The sound of the shifting dust jackets alerted the couple, they jumped like cats after hearing the car backfire.

The guy pointed, "What the hell, man?"

Futaro nonchalantly opened his prize and began reading as he walked away. He had nothing to say, why would he? They clearly got the message.

He rejoined Nino and found his place. The couple walked out of the stacks, stopping when they saw them. Their eyes darted from him, then to Nino, and not quite believing such a pair would share a table, at least in this reality. The guy shook his head at Futaro and led his girlfriend away.

Futaro sighed, "Those two."

Nino lit up, "What about them?"

"Just...here, of all places."

She sighed happily, "I know, isn't it romantic?"

"You saw them?"

"Yeah, I saw them in the stacks. I don't think they noticed me, ah, because they were busy. They were so adorable!"

Futaro rolled his eyes, "If you say so."

"Why so upset? There's nothing wrong with a little affection among couples."

"A little?"

"Yeah, why?"

"They were well past 'a little' when I showed up."

Nino paused, "Clothes on?"

"Mostly."

"Oh whatever then, so it's mostly fine. Still, they were just having some fun. Couples are allowed to do that."

"That, specifically?"

"Yeah," Nino said quickly, then blushed and she continued, "I mean, why not? It's not like I've done that or anything, but it looks," Nino paused, then shook her head, "Never mind, this is getting weird. Let's get back to it."

And they did, she hounded his brain for every factoid this section of the book could claw at, and he answered as best he could. It was remarkable how engaged Nino had become, but then again that shouldn't come as a surprise. Nino was remarkably adaptable, when she wanted to be. With her family, she was rigid as a carbon fiber weave against all but the most penetrative forces, of which he appeared to be. But otherwise, she changed her tune to the beat of the drum and moved on, whether it be with their home, their jobs, and now even their dates.

And then Futaro wondered if she envied the other couple. He wondered if she envied their passion and open display of affection. Futaro had gone so far as to hold her hand and hadn't felt that urge to press for more. Nino never complained, but maybe she wouldn't have minded if he were a little more advancing. But that wasn't his way. Relationships weren't about the hugs or the kisses, at least not to him. It was about the intimacy, a freedom to express oneself with another. Just like that night at the cake shop.

But they were to her. Of course they were. Was she holding herself back while he slowly learned his own sensitivities? Maybe. And then he wondered what she was thinking on all these dates. The first remained a capstone learning experience in proper planning, and the rest had gone well enough, he thought. But he, the man with an emotional graph that was only just coming out of a long flatline, was entrusted with planning these intimate moments. He'd done his best, he really did. But was there something in it that she was missing?

He could ask, but thought better of it. Nino was straightforward enough to tell him if something was truly wrong. Her complacence meant things were going well enough. Well enough. He didn't want that, though. He wanted it to be great. He wanted a perfect score. But to do that, he needed to find the missing pieces Nino was looking for. It may have been there, in that couple. But he wasn't ready for that. No, not by a long shot. The thought of arms tangled together, tongues crashing...ah, that's weird, it didn't sound so bad when he thought of it himself. With her. But it did feel strange, like seeing a blue jungle island on a green sea. He needed to find something else he could use. He tried to think of all the places he could take her, and if any of them would do.

And then he realized the answer, right under his nose all this time. Why did it all need to come from him?

"Hey, what're you doing tomorrow night after work?"

Nino looked up, "Nothing, got something in mind?"

"Nothing, but, what about you?"

"Huh?"

"Why don't you find something for us to do?"

"Are you asking me to ask you on a date?"

"Sounds about right."

"What kind of date?"

"Whatever you want. Really, I'm open to something new. If you want."

Nino thought for a moment, then checked her phone. For five minutes she was glued to the brilliant screen, her fingers flying like a game of whack-a-mole. Finally she stopped, grinned, and showed him her phone. There was a picture of five gorgeous young...men? They were men, right? They wore clothes you find in fashion catalogs and never on a living, breathing person on the streets, and their hair colors could be used to paint a rainbow. Each and every face was plastered with enough makeup to noticeably affect their weight on the scale, and magnified their looks of cool indifference to the onlooker, him.

"Ever been to a concert, Fuu?"

A/N

Something interesting happened. Another author found my story and enjoyed it enough to post a recommendation onto the Quintessential Quintuplets subreddit. There, I commented my thanks, and got my first reddit award in the form of silver. And it was touching, truly touching to receive that recognition. So thank you StarCatTibalt, and to jacobopineda99, for what you did for me. It made my day.

Regarding recent manga developments, I want to clarify two things in relation to this story: Yotsuba's backstory, and the childhood Nakano friend in the manga. Yotsuba is a character I plan to explore further here, and I plan to take her in a different direction than the manga, so please understand that moving forward. As for the childhood Nakano friend, I must warn you that what I am express is going to be negative: I do not like this inclusion. I do not like the trope of one-off childhood friends meeting again in the future as if by fate, and that driving romantic involvement. It reeks of destiny even if it means to. And while the manga continues and may take this trope in a different direction, as I hope it does, I do not intend to follow up with it. If I can, I intend to leave that part of the story behind like it was in the Seven Goodbyes arc. So be aware that childhood Nakano will have no further part to play, unless I see fit further on, which I doubt.

I'd like to outline the story a bit further. What I have envisioned now is a series of arcs, three in total, each around a dozen or so chapters. The present arc has two chapters left, and the second will begin shortly after. I haven't thought of naming them, not yet, but if I come up with something, I'll consider including it. Regardless, this first arc wraps up soon, and from there the story continues.

Thank you everyone who has encouraged me thus far, your comments and encouragement have been well met and brought me further joy in my writing. I'll begin the next chapter shortly and have that up in two weeks time. Until then, everyone.

Chapter published June 27th, 2019.